Police chase driver through 2 Idaho counties, irritant powder used to subdue her
A California driver was arrested by Idaho State Police after refusing to stop for officers across two counties, police said.
The 34-year-old suspect was charged with two felonies: aggravated assault and eluding an officer, according to a news release from state police. She was also charged with resisting and obstructing officers, a misdemeanor.
According to a State Police news release:
At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, troopers were called to assist officers in Payette when the woman “repeatedly refused” to pull over. The woman was reported as a potential DUI.
The suspect, driving a Nissan sedan, was reported to be driving below posted speed limits, failing to stay within the lane and running a red light on the southbound lane of U.S. 95.
“At some points, the Nissan was going slow enough to cause a backup of dozens of other vehicles,” according to the release.
Officers continued to try to stop the woman as she continued into Canyon County, driving the wrong way down streets in Parma.
Near the junction of highways 95 and 20, a state trooper used a maneuver to force the woman’s Nissan sideways and stop it, commonly known as a pursuit intervention technique. The trooper positioned his car to block the driver, but she continued head-on toward the patrol car.
The woman was finally stopped by a secondary PIT maneuver after driving toward several other patrol cars.
After numerous commands, the woman refused to get out of the vehicle and officers used an irritant powder to take her into custody.
No one was injured, and the incident remained under investigation by state police. As of Wednesday, she was in custody at Canyon County Jail, according to online records.
Multiple agencies along with state police coordinated to apprehend the suspect, including Payette, Fruitland, and Parma police and Canyon and Payette county sheriff offices.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 8:32 AM.
